The present invention relates to wall mounted cabinets and, in particular, a wall mounted cabinet having any improved hinge design in which a cabinet body is easily attached and detached at the hinge from a frame mounted to the wall.
Wall mounted cabinets for storing or housing equipment, electrical or otherwise, having some form of a mounting frame on which the main cabinet body is attached are known. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,362, discloses a cabinet for housing electrical equipment. The cabinet has a back door mounted to a wall, a central casing attached to the back door by at least one hinge, and a front door. The central casing can be rotated away from the back door and, hence, the wall, by the hinge. However, this construction does not provide for the complete detachment of the central casing from the back door. Thus, a need exists for a cabinet in which the central body is completely detachable from a mounting frame to provide adequate space in which to access equipment housed within the cabinet and also allow for easier mounting of the cabinet frame and body.
Another type of wall mounted cabinet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,289, which teaches a cabinet body that is detachable from the wall mounted frame. In this construction, a box body is attached to the wall by an H-frame. A mounting frame is attached to an assembly plate which is attached to the interior of the box body. The frame body fits inside and is attached to the mounting frame. The construction prevents the box body from being deformed when mounted during ongoing construction. However, this patent does not teach or suggest having a box body, or cabinet, that is readily detachable from the wall mounting once the construction is complete, nor is the use of hinges to provide access to the equipment housed within the cabinet taught or suggested. Thus the need exists for a cabinet that has a readily accessible, yet secure, interior.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,916,591, a detachable cabinet body is disclosed. However, the cabinet body in this construction detaches by sliding the cabinet body over two side flanges that are attached to the wall. The use of hinges to detach the cabinet from the wall is not taught by this construction.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device for easily attaching and detaching a cabinet body from a wall-mounted frame yet maintain a secure environment for the equipment housed therein when the cabinet body is attached to the wall-mounted frame.
This object is attained by having hinge apparatus attach the cabinet body to a mounting frame which is attached to a wall or other solid object. The hinge apparatus allow the cabinet body to be rotated away from the mounting frame to provide entry to the interior of the cabinet body. The hinge apparatus also permit the cabinet body to be completely detached from the mounting frame. A front cover is attached to the cabinet body opposite the mounting frame so that the contents of the cabinet, for example electrical equipment, are completely enclosed and protected from the surrounding environment and secure against intrusion.
In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet body is attached to the mounting frame by two hinge apparatusxe2x80x94one at the top of the cabinet and one located at the bottom of the cabinet. Each of the hinge apparatus has a hinge assembly and a hinge plate. The hinge assembly has a set of three vertically aligned frame holes penetrating the same side of the mounting frame. The holes have a rectangular cross-section. Each hinge assembly also includes a hinge shaft having two portionsxe2x80x94one with a square cross-section (referred to hereafter as the xe2x80x9csquare portionxe2x80x9d) and one with a circular cross-section (referred to hereafter as the xe2x80x9ccylindrical portionxe2x80x9d). Three vertically aligned holes extend the entire width of the square portion of each hinge shaft, the spacing of the holes corresponding to the spacing of the holes in the mounting frame. Each hinge shaft has associated with it three attachment fasteners, e.g., bolts, that pass through the sets of holes in the mounting frame and into the holes in the hinge shafts. Fastener retainers, e.g., nuts, are attached to the fasteners, securing the hinge shafts to the mounting frame. The outer frame holes, e.g. the top and bottom holes of each set of frame holes, are shaped as vertical slots, allowing the corresponding outer fasteners, e.g., the top and bottom bolts, to slide along the length of the slots. Thus, the hinge shafts attached to the mounting frame by the fasteners also slides a distance equal to the length of the slots in the mounting frame. The inner frame holes, e.g., the center hole, are conventional holes, i.e., not slots. The corresponding inner fasteners and fastener retainers are used with the inner frame and shaft holes to secure the hinge shaft from sliding movement. Hinge plates are attached to opposite parts of the cabinet body, for example on the top section and the bottom section of the cabinet body. Each hinge plate. has a portion that extends rearwardly beyond the back of the cabinet body, toward the mounting frame. A hole in each of the extending portions of the hinge plates is slightly larger in diameter than the cylindrical portion of the hinge shafts.
When the present invention is used, the mounting frame is first attached to the wall. The cabinet body is then placed adjacent to the mounting cabinet. The fasteners are moved along the slotted frame holes so that the cylindrical portion of each of the hinge shafts is withdrawn into the mounting frame, the inner fasteners having been removed. The cabinet body is positioned so the holes in the hinge plates are aligned with the hinge shafts in the mounting frame. When the cabinet body is in alignment, the fasteners are moved along the slotted outer frame holes so that the cylindrical portion of each of the hinge shafts extend beyond the top and bottom, for example, of the mounting frame and engage the holes in the extending portions of the hinge plates, thereby attaching the cabinet body to the mounting frame. Once the hinge shafts are in engagement with the holes in the hinge plates, the fastener retainers for the fasteners are tightened, securing the hinge shafts in place. If the cabinet body is to be removed, the inner fasteners are removed and the outer fasteners are loosened so that they slide within the corresponding slotted frame holes. The fasteners are moved along the slots, withdrawing the hinge shafts into the mounting frame and thus detaching the cabinet body from the mounting frame.
In a preferred embodiment, the fasteners are carriage bolts or similar threaded fasteners having a rounded, self-locking head. In this manner, when the cabinet body is attached to the mounting frame and the cabinet is closed, then the fasteners can not be loosened from the exterior of the cabinet, thus providing a secure enclosure in which the store equipment.
In another preferred embodiment, the cabinet body can be removed by withdrawing only one hinge shaft from the extending portion of the hinge plate and then removing the cabinet body from the stationary hinge shaft. Likewise, the cabinet body can be installed on the mounting frame by securing one hinge shaft in the extended position, withdrawing the other hinge shaft into the cabinet body, inserting the stationary hinge shaft through the corresponding hinge plate hole, extending the other hinge shaft thought its respective hinge plate hole and securing the second hinge shaft, thereby securing the cabinet body to the mounting frame.